Financial indexes barely flickered as the election was announced, suggesting Starmer's move to woo the City has been a successFive years ago, the prospect of a landslide Labour election victory might have been expected to prompt at least some anxiety in financial markets. In a sign of how successful Keir Starmer's campaign to woo the City and move his party's position to the centre has been, markets barely budged in response to news the vote would be held this summer.The FTSE 100 opened flat on Thursday, the pound pushed slightly higher and stock futures a touch lower as markets appeared relaxed about the likelihood of a Starmer win, having had more than a year of reading about 15-point-plus poll leads to get used to the idea. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Hamish Mackay (earlier) on (#6N0KT)
Josep Borrell describes the aid agency as an indispensable lifeline in Gaza and the region'A two-day Israeli raid on the occupied West Bank city of Jenin killed at least 12 Palestinians, health authorities and an Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondent said on Thursday.Israeli troops withdrew from the city early Thursday, the AFP correspondent said, after carrying out raids in the city's refugee camp and exchanging fire with masked gunmen in a nearby neighbourhood in the city centre. Continue reading...
European court of human rights rejects appeals over Mikheil Saakashvili's criminal cases heard in Georgian courtsThe former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili was fairly convicted of abuses of power for ordering the beating of an opposition MP and pardoning four murderers, human rights judges in Strasbourg have ruled.Saakashvili, who was president of Georgia from 2004 to 2013, was said by the European court of human rights on Thursday to have failed to show he had been unfairly treated in his trials in 2018. Continue reading...
Church statement expressing regret' that members took money from plantation owners in 1844 condemned as shameful'The Free Church of Scotland has been accused of shameful" behaviour after it refused to apologise for receiving money from slavery worth millions of pounds today.The Free Church is known to have accepted donations from plantation owners in the southern US states soon after its foundation in 1843 and then a significant bequest from a wealthy Glaswegian sugar baron 10 years later. Continue reading...
The ex-president's most enduring rival during the primaries joined the ranks of many one-time foes who will nevertheless support him. Plus, are phones designed for adults causing children to lose their love for music?Good morning.Nikki Haley, who emerged as Donald Trump's most enduring rival and trenchant critic during the Republican primary elections, has said she intends to vote for the former US president in November.Any other one-time Trump foes who will nevertheless support him? Haley joins the ranks of the US Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell; Trump's former attorney general turned critic William Barr; and Chris Sununu, the New Hampshire governor.What has Trump himself been up to? On social media and in a Tuesday fundraising email, Trump falsely said the Department of Justice was ready to kill him. Trump was apparently referencing the FBI order for a search warrant in August 2022 of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in search of classified documents Trump had allegedly taken. The FBI took the unusual step of responding, describing the language in the warrant as a standard policy statement limiting the use of deadly force. No one ordered additional steps to be taken and there was no departure from the norm in this matter." The Washington Post has previously reported that FBI agents picked a day for the raid when Trump would not be at Mar-a-Lago and told the Secret Service ahead of time.What next, diplomatically? The US is worried Netanyahu may be willing to torpedo a potential normalization deal with Saudi Arabia if it entails ending the war in Gaza and committing to working towards a two-state solution. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brussels correspondent on (#6N0PD)
Food group illegally prevented retailers from sourcing products from EU states where prices were lowerThe owner of Toblerone, Milka and Oreo has been fined 337.5m (288m) for anti-competitive practices in the EU.The US food group Mondelz is one of the world's largest confectionery companies and also owns Ritz and TUC biscuits, Cadbury and Cote D'Or chocolate and the coffee brands JAG, Jacobs and Velours Noir. Continue reading...
Inquiry follows concern over rising treatment costs and could cap prescription fees or break up pet-care chainsThe UK competition regulator has launched a formal investigation into the 2bn veterinary market, over concerns that pet owners could be overpaying for medicines and are not always aware of the best treatment options available.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Thursday it was pushing ahead with a review of the sector in a move that could result in prescription fees being capped and leading pet-care chains being forced to break up. Continue reading...
Standards committee says Michael Matheson should also lose salary for 54 days in most serious sanctions ever imposed on MSPMichael Matheson, Scotland's former health secretary, is expected to lose his salary for 54 days and be suspended as an MSP after wrongly claiming 11,000 in expenses for streaming football matches on holiday.Holyrood's standards committee said the sanctions - the most serious ever imposed on an MSP - were necessary because Matheson had breached a number of rules on expenses and parliamentary conduct. Continue reading...
Romeo, who stands at 6ft 4in, unseated Tommy of Cheshire, Massachusetts, to claim the title of world's tallest living steerThe American steer Romeo was just 10 days old when the owners of an animal sanctuary in Oregon saved him from being slaughtered.And during the six years since married couple Misty and Robert Moore afforded him mercy, Romeo has grown into the tallest living animal of his kind. The once tiny Romeo now ingests 100lbs of hay, 15lbs of grain and an entire bathtub full of water daily to remain adequately fed and hydrated at a height of 6ft 4.5in (1.94 meters), the steer's owners said in an interview published on the Guinness World Records site. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6N0KK)
After David Cameron and austerity came four more PMs, near civil war in the party and, in the end, a sense of nothing working any moreThe 14 years of Conservative rule - up to the calling of an election that Labour is widely expected to win - will have seen five prime ministers, seven chancellors, eight foreign secretaries and no fewer than 16 housing ministers.But the numbers that are most likely to resonate with a bruised electorate are more everyday ones. By some reckonings the average Briton is about 10,000 a year worse off in real terms than in 2010, when the bright-eyed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition took over from Labour. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: From a drop in inflation, to Cameron's cancelled sojourn to Tirana. Now can Rishi Sunak persuade people that being back to normal' is enough? Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Poor Oliver Dowden. There he was, gearing up to launch a cheery campaign advising people to stockpile tinned meat and invest in a wind-up radio to better endure any future unforeseen entity upending our way of life" - and then the prime minister went ahead and announced one. Bulk buy the Spam while you can, folks: to everyone's surprise, there's an election coming, and it's no time to be answering the door.In six weeks' time, it'll all be over. Right now, the trickiest question for most people is why it's even started. To answer that, today's newsletter - put together with the help of Nimo Omer - will run you through what happened yesterday, beat by frenzied beat. Here are the headlines.Post Office scandal | The former chief executive Paula Vennells broke down in tears as she told a public inquiry that she had been misled by her staff about the safety of the prosecutions of branch operators. Vennells claimed she was unaware that people were being wrongly prosecuted or chased for missing funds and said: I was too trusting."Middle East | Ireland, Spain and Norway have announced they will formally recognise a Palestinian state. The three European governments made the announcements in a coordinated move that triggered an immediate response from Israel, which is recalling its ambassadors from Dublin, Madrid and Oslo.Carer's allowance crisis | The government's spending watchdog is to investigate the growing scandal over carer benefits that has plunged tens of thousands of unpaid carers into debt after they unwittingly breached benefit rules. The National Audit Office said its intervention was triggered by public and political concerns over the mounting human and financial costs of overpayments.Grenfell fire | The bereaved and survivors of Grenfell Tower must wait until at least 2027 - a decade after the blaze that killed 72 people - before those suspected of being responsible for the disaster could face criminal trials, it has emerged. Families called the wait for charges for people to be held accountable unbearable".Art | At least 1,000 paintings that the artist Damien Hirst said were made in 2016" were created several years later, an investigation has found. In March, the Guardian revealed that several well-known formaldehyde sculptures made by pickling animals in 2017 were dated by Hirst's company to the 1990s. Continue reading...
Demos report come after two ministers publicised unverified claims about low-traffic neighbourhood schemesPoliticians should be subject to stricter rules on spreading disinformation or wild claims for which there is scant evidence, the thinktank Demos has urged, after senior members of the UK government repeated conspiracy theories on 15-minute cities.Parliament's ethics and standards watchdog should urgently review its requirements to ensure ministers were truthful and accurate in their communications on contentious issues, and avoid spreading disinformation that can polarise debate, the thinktank said in a report on low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs). Continue reading...
Many hoped he would show global leadership - instead he pitched himself as pragmatic' and slowed the journey to net zeroEvery time a UK government minister is asked about the climate crisis, the answer is the same. We are the first major economy to halve emissions and have the most ambitious legally binding emissions targets in the world," is the response, or a variation on those words.It is true that since 1990 the UK has cut greenhouse gas emissions further and faster than any other major developed economy, while increasing the size of the economy. Emissions per capita are now lower than they have been since the mid-nineteenth century. Continue reading...
The struggling NHS, the climate crisis, education and childcare will be among the issues on voters' mindsRishi Sunak has sought to frame the Conservatives as the party of the future and one that can be trusted with the economy and national security.The prime minister, who once billed himself as the change candidate" and unsuccessfully tried to distance himself from years of Conservative rule, now claims his party's experience in government makes it more likely than Labour to have a secure plan for the future. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6N0HG)
Ministers propose graduates could do several years' of NHS work or face repaying some training costsDental graduates in England could be forced to work in the NHS to help tackle the crisis in access that has left millions struggling to get their teeth repaired.Under the government's plan they would have to undertake NHS work for several years" after leaving university or face paying back some of the 200,000 cost of training them. Continue reading...
The 74-year-old actor says he was immediately sorry' after he shouted the N-word at Black people in a comedy club in 2006Seinfeld actor Michael Richards has addressed the racist outburst which effectively ended his career almost 20 years ago, saying he was immediately sorry" but that he's not looking for a comeback".The actor - who won three Emmys for his portrayal of Cosmo Kramer from 1989 to 1998 - has stayed largely out of the spotlight since 2006 when he was filmed yelling the N-word at a group of Black people who heckled him during a standup set at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. Continue reading...
Musician - the band's bassist during its most successful period - was house sitting for a friend in BelgiumCharlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the US pop-rock band Train, best known for their hits Drops of Jupiter and Meet Virginia, has died aged 58.Colin's sister Carolyn Stephens confirmed her brother's death to the Associated Press on Wednesday. He died after slipping and falling in the shower while house sitting for a friend in Brussels, Belgium, the celebrity website TMZ.com reported. Continue reading...
by Presented by John Harris with Pippa Crerar and Kir on (#6N0D0)
Rishi Sunak has announced a general election for Thursday 4 July. The Guardian's John Harris is joined by political editor Pippa Crerar and political correspondent Kiran Stacey to ask why now. And, what happens next ... Continue reading...
One patient airlifted to hospital and 12 taken by ambulance after collision near Culverstone GreenChildren are among those in hospital after being injured in a crash between a tractor and bus in Kent.The collision occurred on the A227 South Street near Culverstone Green in Meopham shortly before 3.30pm on Wednesday, Kent police said. Continue reading...
Centers for Disease Control notes high levels of virus in raw milk amid outbreak among cows, after Michigan dairy worker infectedA Michigan dairy worker has been diagnosed with bird flu - the second human case associated with an outbreak in US dairy cows, after a case emerged in Texas earlier this spring.The new patient had mild eye symptoms and has recovered, US and Michigan health officials said in announcing the case on Wednesday afternoon. The worker had been in contact with cows presumed to be infected, and the risk to the public remains low, officials said. Continue reading...
In lawsuit, voting machine firm Smartmatic alleges the outlet destroyed documents that were direct evidence of actual malice'The chief executive of Newsmax deleted text messages and the company allowed key employees to delete emails as part of an effort to conceal evidence the outlet knew it was broadcasting falsehoods about the 2020 election, lawyers for the voting machine company Smartmatic said in an acerbic court filing last week obtained by the Guardian.The allegations were made as part of a motion for sanctions in an ongoing defamation case Smartmatic filed against Newsmax for making false and outlandish claims about the company after the last presidential election. The case is planned to go to trial in September in Delaware superior court. Continue reading...
Legislation expected to be brought by end of 2025, with service for residents in place by mid-2027Jersey is to move ahead with allowing assisted dying for people with a terminal illness after a vote in its parliament on Wednesday.Legislation is expected to be brought before the island's states assembly by the end of 2025, and an assisted dying service for residents to be in place by mid-2027. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#6N04B)
The deal won approval of 89% of voting shareholders, lining up Richard Branson for a 724m windfall from saleVirgin Money shareholders have voted in favour of a 2.9bn takeover by rival lender Nationwide Building Society, helping clear the path for the biggest UK banking deal since the financial crisis.Just over 89% of voting shareholders said yes to the deal at a general meeting on Wednesday, while nearly 11% rejected the move. The resolution required at least 75% backing to pass. Continue reading...
Street campaigners will welcome a July poll - and Rishi Sunak may be hoping for a Euro 2024 and Wimbledon feelgood factorSummer elections are hardly new - Theresa May crisscrossed the country claiming to be strong and stable" in June 2017, and Jeremy Corbyn celebrated cutting her majority by taking to the stage at Glastonbury.But the last time the UK went to the polls in July was the historic postwar election of 1945, two months after the celebrations of VE Day. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6N036)
The Labour leader has mirrored Blair's highly cautious Ming vase' approach, and it has paid off so farKeir Starmer goes into the general election widely expected to emerge as prime minister, despite being roughly as personally popular as Ed Miliband was at the time of the 2015 election.Headline polls suggest Labour will win a convincing majority in July, with the party 20 points ahead, potentially enough for a landslide victory. Continue reading...
Irish PM declares unequivocal support' for two-state solution, as Israel recalls ambassadors from Dublin, Madrid and OsloIreland, Spain and Norway have announced they will formally recognise a Palestinian state on 28 May, triggering an immediate response from Israel, which said it would retaliate by recalling its ambassadors from Dublin, Madrid and Oslo, and withholding vital funds from the Palestinian Authority.The three European governments made the long-awaited announcements in coordinated moves on Wednesday morning that they said were intended to support a two-state solution and foster peace in the Middle East. Continue reading...
Asked if he thinks former chief executive is genuinely sorry, Bates says: I wonder about these apologies, these are just words'Paula Vennells has made an opening statement at the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry where she apologised to the victims of the scandal and offered to stand outside the old Post Office of one of the victims with them to explain to people what happened and what they went through. She said she had been deeply affected by victim impact statements heard by the inquiry.She said:I would just like to say, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to do this, how sorry I am for all that subpostmasters and their families and others who suffered as a result of all of the matters that the inquiry has been looking into for so long.I followed and listened to all of the human impact statements, and I was very affected by them. I remember listening to one subpostmaster whose name I noted, who said that he would like somebody to go and stand outside his old Post Office with him so he could tell them exactly what he'd been through. I would do that. Continue reading...
Australian firm says 31.11 a share is its final offer, but FTSE 100 miner agrees to enter talks with larger rivalAnglo American has rebuffed a third takeover attempt by BHP after the Australian company sweetened its offer in an attempt to create a global mining titan.BHP said it had submitted an increased and final" bid of 31.11 a share for Anglo, which values the FTSE 100 company at 38.6bn, earlier this week. Continue reading...
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leads prayers in capital city days after death of Ebrahim Raisi and seven others in helicopter crashTens of thousands of Iranians attended the Tehran funeral of the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, whose death in a helicopter crash on a fog-shrouded mountain on Sunday has opened up a potentially volatile moment in Iranian politics.He died with seven others, including the foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who was hailed by Hamas on Wednesday as the minister for the resistance. Continue reading...
Prime minister says there will be a general election in the second half of the year' when asked at PMQsIn an interview with Sky News this morning, Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, was asked if the UK would follow Ireland, Spain and Norway in formally recognising a Palestinian state. No, he replied. He told Sky:We have a long-standing position on this that we will be prepared to recognise the state of Palestine at the time that it most helps the peace process, and we will continue to keep that under review.We will continue to keep that under review. But our position is that this is not the right time to do it at the moment.Dubbed Sue's shit list" by one senior Labour official, it has been drawn up by the former civil servant to identify the most immediate problems Labour would face in office if it wins the election expected this year.Senior Labour officials said that any one of the areas on Gray's government risk register" could puncture a honeymoon period for a new administration led by Sir Keir Starmer. Continue reading...
Town of Greenfield battered by deadly twister with severe storms expected to hit large parts of US this weekMultiple people were killed by a tornado in Iowa on Tuesday, as severe storms threaten a large portion of the US later in the week.Sgt Alex Dinkla of Iowa state police confirmed the multiple fatalities in Greenfield, Iowa, during a briefing about the deadly storm, NBC News reported. Continue reading...
Greens accuse Alternative for Germany of being Putin's extended arm' after AfD's lead candidate in European parliamentary elections says he will step downTerry Reintke, a Green lead candidate in the European elections, has argued that despite Maximilian Krah's move to step down from the AfD's leadership board, Alternative for Germany is still extremist.One thing does not change: the AfD and its right-wing extremist friends are Putin's extended arm in the EP," she said. Continue reading...
by Amy Sedghi (now) and Caroline Davies (earlier) on (#6MZQ4)
Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store said there cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition'Irish prime minister Simon Harris said on Wednesday that he expected other countries to join Ireland, Spain and Norway in recognising a Palestinian state in the coming weeks.Today, Ireland, Norway, and Spain are announcing that we recognise the state of Palestine," Harris said at a press conference, reports Reuters. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6MZW4)
Sunak and Starmer pay tribute to South Thanet MP as he returns to chamber after sepsis ordealCraig Mackinlay, the Conservative MP who had his hands and feet amputated last year due to sepsis, has returned to the Commons chamber for the first time since his illness, receiving a standing ovation from fellow MPs as well as tributes from Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.Mackinlay, the MP for South Thanet, who has said he will stand again for his seat, arrived just before prime minister's questions. Science and technology questions, which were taking place, paused while MPs stood to applaud him. Continue reading...
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